Door elevating mechanism



Feb. 7, 1933. G, MADLAND DOOR ELEVATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1931 3Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 7, 1933. MADLAND DOOR ELEVATING MEQHANISM Filed Feb.25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet III Feb. 7, 1933. Q MADLAND 1,896,636

DOOR ELEVATING MECHANI SM Filed Feb. 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 *www sa@ne@ HTW Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GABRIELMADLAND, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR vrro CAMEL COMPANY, orv CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ACCRPORATICN or ILLINOIS DOOR ELEVATING MECHANISM vApplication led February 26, 1931. SerialNo. 518,833.

' This invention relates to doors for railway cars and concerns itselfmoreparticularly with mechanisms for effecting elevating movement ofsaid doors.

It is an object of this invention to provide mechanisms for elevatingdoors for support upon rolling means, whereby said doors may be moved toopen and closed positions.

A further .object is the provision of lift mechanisms which shall becapable of easy and positive operation. Y

Other objects of the invention as well as advantages will becomeapparent from the following description and drawings forming part ofthis specification.

In the drawings Figure V1 is a partial elevation of a metal door towhichnis applied a lift mechanism of the invention, the door being shownin lowered position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the door shown ink elevatedposition.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the lower left hand corner of thedoor, showing a portion of the operating lever and lifting mechanism onan enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a sectional View on line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a Sectional view on line 57-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 3. Y

Figure 7 is a partial elevation of a wood door to which a modified formof lift mechanism is applied.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 8 8 of Figure 7 on an enlargedscale.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of Figure 7 on an enlargedscale. I

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 6,inclusive, a lift mechanism is illustrated in its application to ametallic door. The door 10 in the present instance is indicated asprovided with corrugations, although it is apparent that any type ofmetallic door may be employed. It will be evident that while the liftmechanism isillustrated in its application to a single or box car doorit is not limited in this respect but may be utilized as well inconnection with double door constructions.` Y

The door in the lowered position Shown in Figures 1, 3V and 4 of thedrawings is supported frictionally upon a track 11 secured to a sidesill(not shown) by means of a plul rality of track brackets 12, one of whichis shown in part in Figure 4 or the drawings. The frictional engagementbetween the door and the track is effected in accordance with theembodiment considered by means of 'a 60 plurality of housing members 13secured adjacentthe lower corners of the door by means of rivets 14, itbeing clear fromthe showing of Figure 4 that there is direct engagementbetween a surface .of said housings and the f track. It is tobeunderstood, however, that the invention is not. limited in this aspectto engagement between the housings and the track but Ithat thefrictional engagement may be effected in any manner desired.

Mounted within each of the housing members 13 is a roller support 15within each of which is positioned a roller 16 having rolling engagementwith the track. The roller supporting members 15 are maintained inSliding relationship with the door and the housing members by means ofinwardly directed flanges 17 provided on said housing members havingoverlapping engagement with the roller supporting members as is clearlyindicated in Figure 6 of the drawings. It is evident from thisconstruction that the roller supporting member with its contained rollerwill remain in engagement with the track at all times even in theelevated position of the door.

In order to adapt the 'door for movement toward closed or open positionsit is necessaryvthat the frictional engagement between the door and thetrack or between the hous.- L90 Ul I ing members and the track must bebroken and the door supported upon the rollers 16. For theaccomplishment of this result there is provided an operating bar 18movable in a substantially horizontal plane. 1n order to impart movementto this bar an operating lever 19 is utilized. This lever, as clearlyshown in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings, is pivoted on a boss 20 formedintegrally with aI bracket member 21 secured to the door. rhe lever isprovided with a nose portion 22 adapted to have engagement with anabutment portion 23 provided on the operating bar 18. i dog' or triggermember Qt is pivoted in each et the housing members by means of a pin25, said pin being supported in part by a hub 26 depending from thehousing members and positioned adjacent one upper corner of the rollersupporting member, said corner being removed in order to permit suchpositioning. As clearly illustrated in Figures 8 and -t of the drawings,each of the dogs or trigger members is provided with oppositelyextending lobes 27 and Q8 positioned above the pivotal support of saiddogs in the housing members. The lobe 28 of each trigger 24 extends inthe path of movement of a member Q9 or 29', preferably7 in the form of acasting riveted directly to the ends et and forming part of theoperating' bar 18. rThe members 29, 29 are provided with abutmentportions 30, 30, respectively, adapted to contact with the lobes 28. Themembers Q9, 29 extend into the housing members 13 and for this purposeslots 31 substantially angular in section are provided in said housingmembers. A retaining strap 32, provided with odset portions 83 which areextended for attachment to the door 10, is utilized to prevent outwarddisplacement of the operating lever 19 and to provide stops limiting thedownward and upward movements of the lever.

In Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, an embodiment of the lifting' mechanism ofthe invention is illustrated in its application to a wooden door. Thelower corners of the door 50 are gained out as indicated at 51 and intothese gained portions modified housing members 52 are positioned. Thesehousing members are provided with inwardly extending' portions 53adapted to abut the door in the gained portions thereof. An outwardlyextending flange 5% is provided on said housing members in overlappingrelationship with the door in order to receive a plurality of boltsextending through aligned openings in a backing or gusset plate 55, saiddoor and said outwardly extending portions. The backing or gusset plate55 is provided on the inside of the door and serves not only tocompensate for the gained out portions of the door but providesadditionally a backing member against which the housing members areadapted to abut.

A roller supporting member 56 is provided in each ot the housing members52 and is maintained in slideable engagement with said housing membersand the door by means of spaced iianges 57 and 58 provided 0n thehousing members. 1n other respects, the operating mechanism illustratedin Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, is the same as that shown in Figures 1 toG, inclusive. in other words, an operating bar 18 is employed. Anoperating lever 19 is utilized to impart movement to said operating bar.fr strap member 8:2 is utilized although in its application to thewooden door it assumes a somewhat dili'crent angular position relativeto the door. The operating lever is pivoted on the door by means of abracket 59. Dogs or triggermembers 24 are employed, said dogs beingpivotally supported in the housing members The operating bar 18 hassecured to it at its ends the castings 29, 29 which are provided withabutments 23 and 80 and 23 and 30', respectively, for the purposehereinbei''ore set forth. rEhe abutment 80,01'8 is adapted to haveengagement with the upwardly extending lobe 28 ot dog while the lobe 27is adapted to have engagement with the roller housing member 56. Asshown in Figures 4t and 8, respectively, each of the roller housingmembers is provided with an upwardly extending flange 34 and 60,respectively, these flanges having interengagen'ient with a dependingportion provided on the track to limit outward movement of the door.

ihen it is desired to move the door longitudinally ot tae car towardopen or closed position the operator will grasp the free end of thelever 19 and exert a downward pull thereon. During this movement oi thefree end of the lever the nose portion 2Q of the lever will exert athrust upon the abutment portion 28 and thereby impart a substantiallyhorizontal movement to the operating bar 18. During this movement of thebar and because of the engagement between the abutment portion 30 onsaid bar and the lobe 28 of the dog or trigger member 24, said triggermember will be urged in the direction of movement of the bar. Thetrigger member will then fulcrum about the lower lobe 27 upon the rollerhousing member, producing an upward movement of the pivotal portion ofsaid trigger' member. inasmuch as the trigger member is pivoted on thedoor a corresponding upward movement will be imparted thereto and thedoor will be elevated above the track and supported for rollingmovemen.J thereupon by means of the rollers 16. It is apparent that inthe upward movement of the door the roller housing' members 15 remainsubstantially stationary. vWhile the operation ot the litt mechanism hasbeen described with relation to the liftmevement effected by one of thedogs it is apparent that the same Ioperation is performed by the otherof said dogs. Upon release of the operating lever it is manifest thatthe door will again seat itself frictionally upon the track because ofthe action of gravity.

It should be noted that the operation of the bar 18 and the lever 19 ispositive both in the elevating and lowering movements of the door. Thepositive action of these members in the elevating movement of the doorhas been explained. It will be evident that no sticking of the members18 and 19 can occur in the lowering movement of the door inasmuch as bymeans of the engagement be'- tween the dogs and the roller supportingmembers a positive thrust will be exerted by said dogs upon the abutmentportions 30, 30 provided on the castings 29, 29 which are secured to thebar 18 so that the said bar and the operating lever, through itsengagement between the abutment portion 23 and the nose 22, will bepositively actuated and will assume their normal positions.

Numerous changes in the details of the embodiments of the invention setforth may obviously be made. It is to be understood, however, that allsuch changes falling within the invention and the scope of the claimsappended hereto are deemed to be comprehended within its purview.

I claim:

1. In combination, a sliding door, a track, said door in its loweredposition having frictional engagement with said track, a plurality ofhangers secured to said door, each of said hangers comprising a housingmember fastened to said door and a roller supporting member havingvertical movement relative to said door, rollers mounted in said roller.supporting members in engagement with said track, means pivotallysupported on said door to swing substantially longitudinally relative tothe door and having labutment upon each of said roller supportingmembers and means adapted to exert a force upon said pivotally supportedmeans, whereby the latter will fulcrum upon said roller supportingmembers and said force will be communicated to the pivotal support ofsaid means to lift the door.

2. In combination, a sliding door, a track, said door and said trackhaving frictional engagement in the lowered position of said door toprevent sliding` movement thereof, a plurality of housing membersrigidly secured to said door, a plurality of roller supporting membersmaintained relative to said door by said housing members, said housingand roller supporting members being capable of relative verticalmovement, rollers carried by said supporting members in engagement withsaid track, pivoted triggers swingable longitudinally of the doorcarried by said housing members and having engagement with said rollersupporting members and means having abutment portions engageable withsaid triggers for operating said ltriggers to elevate the door. t

` 8. In combination, a sliding door, a track, said door in its loweredposition being frictionally retained against sliding movement by saidVtrack, `roller supporting members, rollers mounted in said supportingmembers and? adapted to have rolling engagement with said track,brackets riveted to said door, said brackets being provided withlflanges confining said-supporting members for relative verticalmovement with respect to said door, means pivotally mounted in saidbrackets and having engagement with said roller supporting members and ahorizontally movable operating bar, said bar being adapted to haveengagement with said pivotally mounted means.

4'. In combination, a sliding door, a track, said door in its normalposition being frictionally retained against sliding movement, rollersupporting members, rollers mounted in said supporting members andhaving engagement with said track, bracket members secured to said door,means provided on said bracket members maintaining said rollersupporting members for vertical movement relative to said door, ahorizontally movable operating bar and means converting the horizontalmovement of said bar into a vertical movement to said door, said lastmentioned means comprising elements pivotally supported on certain ofsaid members and having engagement with the other of said members andsaid operating bar.

5. In combination, a sliding door, a track, bracket members secured tosaid door and having frictional engagement with said track in thelowered position of the door, aligned openings in said bracket members,an operating bar provided with abutment portions extending into saidopenings, roller su porting members slideably associated witi saidbracket members, a roller mounted in each of said roller supportingmembers, said rollers having rolling engagement with said track, dogspivotally supported by said bracket members, said dogs having engagementwith said roller supporting members and the abutment portions on saidoperating bar and means for effecting movement of said bar whereby saiddogs will fulcrum upon said roller supporting members and the door willbe elevated about the pivotal connection between said dogs and saidbracket members.

6. In a house car, in combination, a sliding door, a track, said doorand said track having frictional engagement in the lowered position ofthe door, a plurality of roller supporting members connected to saiddoor, said door being capable of vertical movement relative to saidsupporting members, rollers mounted on said members in engagement withsaid track, means substantially bell e Cir crank in shape pivotallymounted on said door and having engagement with eaeh of said rollersupporting members and means engageable with and adapted to exert asubstantially horizontal thrust upon said pivotally mounted means toelevate said door above said track, said roller supporting members beingstationary relative to said track during the elevating movement of saiddoor.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 25th day of February, 1931.

GABRIEL MADLAND.

